10 everyday household items you can reuse to save money

We all know the saying “charity begins at home”. This rings especially true when you’re on a tight budget. We’d like to paraphrase, and say that charity begins in the home, and reusing household items can actually really help you to save.

Here are 10 ideas…

1. Teabags

Most people use a teabag only once. Most teabags can be used for at least two cups of tea. You can also open up your used tea bags and spread the tea leaves around your plants – it is a great fertiliser.

2. Bread crusts

Some people do not like eating the crusts around their sandwiches. Instead of throwing it away, you can use it to make croutons, or you can dry it and use for bread crumb coatings.

3. Bones from roasted chicken, turkey or beef

Next time you cook a whole chicken, don’t throw away the bones. Put the bones in a pot with water and some vegetables. Cook the mixer until the bones disappears. You now have a perfect chicken stock to use in your cooking.

4. Egg shells

Egg shells should never go in the dustbin. Scatter it among your plants, just like used tea leaves it is great for your plants.

5. Aluminium foil

Most people only use foil once. If money is not a concern, then go ahead and do so. For a frugal alternative, however, you can simply rinse the foil and use it a second time.

6. Plastic food containers

Remember how your mother always kept the empty butter and ice cream containers? She was on to something. Tupperware and plastic containers are expensive, so instead reuse those empty containers to freeze or store food items.

7. Broken crayons

If you have kids, you probably have loads of these lying around. You can melt crayons in your oven in various shapes to make new crayons.

8. Empty plastic milk bottles

Punch a few small holes in the lid of your empty milk bottle. Fill it with water and use it as a watering can for plants around the house.

9. Bread tags

You can reuse your old bread tags to mark all the cords running from the computer, printer, router, etc.

About The Author

Angie Gallagher is a freelance writer in the Upper Karoo. Aside from writing content for Counting Coins, Angie has tried her hand at a few juvenile attempts at poetry filled with storms and stress, and a marginally successful radio station, Radio Grootoor, recorded on cassette tapes when she was ten.